20/06/2025
With a few hot days forecasted, will you be doing anything different with your dogs?
Do you have a dog that struggles in the heat, or maybe you have a totally cool Canine?😎
Well, all dogs are different and will therefore respond differently, but risk factors for heat related illness include things like age, breed, underlying health conditions, and increased body weight. Less obvious risk factors to consider are activity levels, climate conditioning, and hydration status. Taking these factors into account, we can see how this variability can lead to people getting caught out.
So, rather than worrying about the weather forecast, what we should be doing is monitoring and observing the dogs in front of us and looking for those early signs that the dog is struggling, such as:
Increased respiratory rate, panting, red gums, ‘smiling’ to expose the gums, a long flattened, lolling tongue, shade-seeking, slowing down, stopping or lying down. Watch your dog carefully. If you know your dog well, you may notice other subtle changes in behaviour.
The best course of action always is to stop, find shade, and rest. Offer cool drinking water little and often (not excessive amounts all at once) and cool them down with cold water and evaporative cooling – which just means applying cold water all over the dogs body alongside air movement from a breeze or fan. If there isn't much water available, concentrate on the groin and armits where there is less hair, and blood vessels are nearer the skin. Even in the most severe cases, dogs suffering from heat-stroke should always be cooled first, transported second, "wet then vet"!
Remember that prevention is always better than cure:
🐕Choose early morning or cool evening walks.
💦Offer water regularly to keep your dog hydrated.
🏡And don’t forget that no dog died from missing a walk. Staying at home is always an option!
😎Keep cool and stay safe!
